Students at Quinnipiac University are staying in touch with family in Puerto Rico as Maria inches closer (WFSB)

HAMDEN, CT (WFSB) -

A few students at Quinnipiac University are among those keeping tabs on their family and friends in Puerto Rico ahead of Hurricane Maria.

Maria, a category five storm, is heading right for Puerto Rico, unsettling for students Shelma Morales and Mia Martinez, who are worried for their family's safety and well-being.

The students said food and supplies are low in Puerto Rico after Irma ripped through parts of the Caribbean.

Now they say it's a matter of waiting to see the next hurricane's force.

“My mother is in contact almost every single hour with my grandfather and grandmother. She facetimed my grandmother earlier this morning. I keep in contact with my other cousins as well,” Morales said.

“It's a little overwhelming especially with hurricane Irma having come by just a few weeks ago,” Martinez said.

Both students have grandparents, cousins, uncles, and aunts right in the path of Maria, and parts of Puerto Rico are still recovering from Irma.

“Their electricity down there isn't still all the way on. Running water is still an issue as well so we're still trying to keep in contact as much as possible,” Martinez said.

“To find ice, it's been a struggle to find food, it's been a struggle the lines are huge everywhere. Thankfully my cousin, I talked to earlier, was able to get some food but my grandmother was not as lucky,” Morales said.

Both students are members of the Latino Cultural Society on campus and hope to get a food and donation drive running in the coming days.

One of the students said her biggest concern is Maria potentially destroying her family's homes and displacing them.

Technical Discussion

Monday will be bright and chilly. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s in inland sections and lower 40s along the shore. A cell of high pressure will move overhead, and then to the east of the region today and will be the dominating factor in the weather, thus promising the quieter spell.

Monday will be bright and chilly. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s in inland sections and lower 40s along the shore. A cell of high pressure will move overhead, and then to the east of the region today and will be the dominating factor in the weather, thus promising the quieter spell.

This Sept. 24, 2017, photo provided by Michael Kass shows Yann Arnaud during a Cirque du Soleil performance in Toronto. Arnaud died early Sunday, March 18, 2018, after falling while performing during a show on Saturday in Tampa, Fla. (Michael Kass via AP)

A Cirque du Soleil performer died Saturday night after he fell during a performance in Tampa, Florida.

Nearly two weeks after 16-year-old Amy Yu vanished with 45-year-old Kevin Esterly, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. (Allentown Police Department)

Nearly two weeks after a 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl vanished with a 45-year-old man, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. Amy Yu was "unharmed and in good health."

Nearly two weeks after a 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl vanished with a 45-year-old man, the pair was found Saturday in Mexico and the man was arrested, authorities say. Amy Yu was "unharmed and in good health."

Technical Discussion

THE FINAL DAY OF SPRING… Some overnight cloud cover prevented temperatures this morning from going as cold as they could have, if the sky would’ve been clear. Now that they’re eroding, the rest of the day will be mostly sunny. After starting out in the 20s and low 30s, temperatures will peak in the upper 30s and lower 40s this afternoon – well below the average high of 49!

THE FINAL DAY OF SPRING… Some overnight cloud cover prevented temperatures this morning from going as cold as they could have, if the sky would’ve been clear. Now that they’re eroding, the rest of the day will be mostly sunny. After starting out in the 20s and low 30s, temperatures will peak in the upper 30s and lower 40s this afternoon – well below the average high of 49!